This invention relates generally to a track apparatus for a vehicle, and in particular, to a drive wheel for driving a flexible track of the track apparatus during operation of the same.
Agricultural vehicles such as tractors, combines and the like are commonly used in agricultural fields for a variety of jobs. Typically, these agricultural vehicles incorporate tires on which the vehicles are supported. Since these types of large agricultural vehicles are quite heavy, the weight of agricultural vehicles are distributed to a relatively small area on the tires of the vehicles. As a result, the tires on the agricultural vehicles tend to compact the soil in the fields. Compacted soil discourages the growth of crops planted in the fields which need loose soil to flourish.
In addition, since agricultural fields are often wet due to rain or watering, agricultural vehicles which enter the fields become bogged down in the mud due to the fact that there is such a small area of the tire in contact with the soil. As such, it is highly desirable to develop a track system for vehicles which disburses the weight of the agricultural vehicle over a larger area so as to reduce the degree the soil in the agricultural fields is compacted and to provide a track with a larger surface area which contacts the soil so as to prevent the agricultural vehicle from becoming bogged down in mud in the fields.
A prior track system for vehicles is disclosed in Kelderman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,949, assigned to the Assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. The Kelderman ""949 patent discloses a track suspension system for a vehicle having a frame and a continuous track. The drive wheel is attached to the frame for engaging and driving the continuous flexible track. The drive wheel has a plurality of drive projections or lugs disposed thereon which engage corresponding lugs extending from the inner surface of the flexible track. As the drive wheel rotates, it engages and drives the continuous flexible track. Since the drive projections of the drive wheel are rigid, repeated engagement of the drive projections with the lugs extending from the flexible track has a tendency to cause cracking of the continuous flexible track. Consequently, it would be highly desirable to provide a drive wheel which does not damage the flexible track after extended use.
Therefore it is a primary object and feature of the present invention to provide a drive wheel for engaging and driving a continuous flexible track of a track system for a vehicle.
It is a further object and feature of the present invention to provide a drive wheel of a track system for engaging and driving a continuous flexible track which does not damage the flexible track during extended use.
It is a still further object and feature of the present invention to provide a drive wheel of a track system for engaging and driving a continuous flexible track which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
In accordance with the present invention, a drive wheel mountable on a rotatable axle of a vehicle for driving a flexible track is provided. The flexible track has upper and lower lengths and an inner surface having a plurality of spaced lugs projecting therefrom. Each lug terminates at a generally flat terminal surface. The drive wheel includes a central hub mountable on the axle of the vehicle for rotational movement therewith. First and second side-surfaces extend radially from the central hub. The side-surfaces terminate at radially outer edges. An outer rim interconnects the outer edges of the side-surfaces. The outer rim is engageable with the terminal surfaces of the lugs.
It is contemplated to provide the outer rim with a plurality of spaced openings therein. The plurality of openings in the outer rim are circumferentially spaced about the central hub. In addition, a plurality of spaced drive lugs project radially from the outer rim. The plurality of drive lugs are circumferentially spaced about the central hub.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention, a drive wheel mountable on a rotatable axle of a vehicle for driving a continuous flexible track is provided. The flexible track includes an inner surface having a lug projecting therefrom and terminating at a terminal surface. The drive wheel includes a central mounting portion mountable on the axle for rotational movement therewith. First and second side-surfaces project radially from the central mounting portion. Each side-surface has a radially outer edge. An outer rim interconnects the radially outer edges of the walls. First and second drive lugs project from the outer rim and define a lug-receiving gap therebetween for receiving the lug.
The outer rim may include a plurality of spaced openings therein. The plurality of openings in the outer rim are circumferentially spaced about the central mounting portion. Similarly, the drive lugs are circumferentially spaced about the central mounting portion. It is contemplated that the outer rim engage the terminal surface of the lug when the lug is in the lug receiving gap.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention, a track apparatus mountable on a rotatable axle of the vehicle is provided. The track apparatus includes a continuous flexible track having upper and lower lengths and an inner surface having a plurality of spaced lugs projecting therefrom. Each lug terminates at a terminal surface. A drive wheel structure is mountable on the axle for driving the flexible track of the track apparatus. The drive wheel includes a central hub, first and second side-surfaces extending radially from the central hub and terminating at radially outer edges, and an outer rim interconnecting the outer edges of the side-surfaces for engaging terminal surfaces of the lugs.
The track apparatus may include a frame and a leading idler axle for rotatably supporting a leading idler wheel which engages the flexible track. The frame includes a leading idler support arm having a terminal end which defines a passageway for rotatably receiving the leading idler axle therethrough. The frame may include first and second side portions which define a drive wheel receipt well therebetween for receiving the drive wheel.
The outer rim of the drive wheel may include a plurality of spaced openings therein. The plurality of openings in the outer rim of the drive wheel are circumferentially spaced about the central hub. The drive wheel may also include a plurality of spaced drive lugs projecting radially from the outer rim. The plurality of drive lugs of the drive wheel are circumferentially spaced about the central hub.